Ever wondered why some beautiful houses stay on sale for long periods of time even if the properties are in good neighbourhoods and the purchase prices are fairly reasonable? It could be because these homes do not meet the needs of all their potential buyers, or because the buyers are turned off by invisible factors.

Invisible turn offs are not ghosts and goblins. These are little seemingly insignificant things that home sellers are usually not aware of, but buyers are very sensitive to. Some of these invisible turn offs include:

Undesirable Odours since you live in the property, you may have gotten used to the smell of cigarettes, or mildew or pets and not consider this offensive. People who are not used to your home environment would notice this immediately, and they also know if youre trying to mask unpleasant odours with sprays.

Pets Yes, they are real entities, but they can be considered an invisible factor to you since you are used to having them around. Pets should be removed from the premises, no matter how cute or affectionate they are, whenever youre showing your home off to buyers. They may bark, slobber or worse, relieve themselves unexpectedly, and any of these could be a big turn off for a buyer.

Bugs and Insects Like pets, these are not invisible, but if you are used to their presence, again, they become invisible (to you). Buyers are on a look out for creepy crawlies, the worst of these are cockroaches, spiders and flies. You have to eradicate these little pests first, before you entertain guests.

If you want to get a good price on your home, and sell it at the soonest possible time, you have to be extra vigilant about these things. A house is more than having picture perfect interiors, solid structural foundations and a great curb appeal; its also about these little seemingly insignificant factors.

Remember that when youre selling a house, everything matters.